Thumbs up to Gus Dur

Thumbs up to Gus Dur

From Bisnis Indonesia

I am not a member of the National Awakening Party (PKB), which
President Abdurrahman Wahid helped found prior to his assuming
the presidency, but I have been moved to give a thumbs up to the
President for his magnanimity in taking denouncement prompted by
a desire to topple him rather than spurred by a wish to benefit
the people and the nation.

The demand that the President step down on the grounds that he
has failed to revive the economy and that under his presidency
the country is threatened with disintegration, is illogical
because of the following considerations:
1. Can the future president guarantee that the country's economic
growth will be faster? If he or she can, the people need to be
told about the agenda that the new president will implement and
the items in this agenda that the present government are yet to
act upon.
2. The president can perform his tasks effectively if there is
close cooperation with the judicial and legislative institutions.
Constructive criticism must of course be given to the president
and his staffers.

Unfortunately, since 2000 until today the President and the
House of Representatives are at loggerheads. Very clearly the
House of People's Representatives and the People's Consultative
Assembly are conspiring to topple the President by playing up the
money scandals related to Bulog and aid from the sultan of Brunei
Darussalam which allegedly involved the President. In this
respect, it must first be established beyond any doubt that the
President is really involved.

All members of society with secondary schooling and further
education understand that the eradication of corruption,
collusion and nepotism and law enforcement is a very difficult
process which could take a decade to achieve. The reason?
Corruption, collusion and nepotism and mafia-like practices in
the courts of law have a history of no less than 32 years.

KATHLEEN H. HORMAN

Jakarta